Welcome!Welcome!

Please read the board carefully Please read the board carefully and get out paper for notes. and get out paper for notes.

Home sweet home . . .Home sweet home . . .

Or is it????Or is it????

Breathing!Breathing!

Some basicsSome basics

What is in our atmosphere?What is in our atmosphere?

Normal chemical composition of our atmosphere: (N2) 78%

(O2) 21%

Trace gases (water, argon, carbon dioxide, other pollutants) 1%

Pollution terminologyPollution terminology

• Pollutant• Source• Effect

Article: EPA Proposes New Article: EPA Proposes New Ozone StandardOzone Standard

• EPA = Environmental Protection Agency• As you read, label the pollutant, source(s)

and effects

Pollution unitsPollution units

Parts per thousand (ppt)Parts per million (ppm)Parts per billion (ppb)

The air pollution flip chart for The air pollution flip chart for visual learnersvisual learners

• Draw and label the atmospheric layers in black or blue pen.

Primary pollutants come directly Primary pollutants come directly from a sourcefrom a source

• Mobile sources

Mobile sourcesMobile sources

Stationary SourcesStationary Sources

• Power plants

RefineriesRefineries

Secondary pollutants form in Secondary pollutants form in atmosphere as gases reactatmosphere as gases react

• Smog, ground level ozone and acid rain

Add the sources to the three flip Add the sources to the three flip chartscharts

We're #?

• . . . .for the number of days exceeding allowable ground level ozone levels.

• American Lung Association State of the Air

Measuring pollutantsMeasuring pollutants

• parts per thousand = ppt• parts per million = ppm• Parts per billion = ppb• Parts per trillion = ppt (must know from

context)

Clean Air ActClean Air Act

• Passed by Congress in 1970, updated in 1990, ‘93, 97, 2008.

• Required EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to identify criteria pollutants and to establish minimum standards: EPA came up with NAAQ’s

National Ambient Air Quality National Ambient Air Quality StandardsStandards

• Six criterion pollutants: NOx, SOx, O3, Pb, CO, particulates

• Established minimum standards: 1hr and 8 hr

• EPA is working to have greenhouse gases added by Congress to the NAAQs

Houston’s special issuesHouston’s special issues

• 1/3 of all US petrochemicals pass through our refineries

• Refineries separate crude oil into many different products from asphalt tar to gasoline to butane

Refineries create carcinogenic Refineries create carcinogenic air pollutantsair pollutants

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes

So what is being done about So what is being done about this? - City monitoringthis? - City monitoring

45 mobile monitoring stations45 mobile monitoring stations

State monitoringState monitoring

• Flexible permitting – each facility has total cap emissions limit, but flexibility in how they meet that limit.

• TCEQ issues permits for emitting certain amount of pollutants

• Facilities do “self reporting”

Check your understanding!Check your understanding!

• What is the difference between a primary and a secondary air pollutant?

• Give an example of a mobile source.• Give an example of a stationary source.• Which layer of the atmosphere are you in

RIGHT NOW?!!!!• What is the normal chemical composition

of our atmosphere?